The present invention relates to an automotive lighting system attached to a forward inner part of the roof of a car to insure that two illumination lamps are turned on and off when a door is opened and closed and that two map lamp switches are lighted by way of lens plates to selectively turn on a driver's seat side lamp or a front passenger's seat side lamp to act as map lamps, respectively.
Now, a conventional automotive lighting system in general use will be explained hereinafter.
As an automotive lighting system equipped with map lamps, there are two types. In one of said two types, an internal illumination lamp turned on or off by a door open/close operation and a map lamp turned on or off by an on-and-off operation of a switch are accommodated in different housings. In the other type, said internal illumination lamp and said map lamp are accommodated in a single housing.
In the former type, the internal illumination lamp is mounted centrally to the roof inside of the car while a map lamp is mounted centrally to the forward inner part of the roof. Then, the internal illumination lamp is turned on and off in response to the door open/close operation. It is also possible, to set the switch such that the lamp is adapted to be turned on or off irrespective of the door open/close operation. Said map lamp is turned on and off by the operation of a switch mounted to the housing of said lamp.
Conventionally, the internal illumination lamp and the map lamp are assembled into a single housing, in which there are provided different switches to turn on and off said internal illumination lamp and said map lamp. In this case, the knob to operate such switch is needed with the result that the housing is required to be large-sized.
In order to downsize the housing, the area of the lens must be small and on the other hand, the size of the housing must be large if the lens is required to have a large size. However, if the lens plate is to be downsized, a problem of having an illumination luminance reduced and if the size of the lens plate is required to be large, the space taken up at the roof of the housing is so large that there arises a problem in terms of designing preference.
Further, said two types of conventional automotive lighting systems employ different lamps for illumination within the housing and for the purpose of reading maps. In compliance thereto, there are three lamps including two map lamps each for the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat and one lamp for illumination inside of the car. Similarly, there are three switches including one for turning on and off the internal illumination lamp and two others for the respective map lams. Therefore, the need for a large housing is involved for map lamp switches and map lamps themselves with the result that the cost incurred tends to be higher.
The present invention is aimed at solving the problems stated above and the object of the present invention is to provide an automotive lighting system which is capable of downsizing the housing while using a lens of a size large as compared to the housing by using an internal illumination lamp and map lamps, by substituting lens plates for a switching knob for turning on and off the lamps while providing designing novelty.
The present invention is to accomplish said object and means therefor includes a pair of lamps accommodated within a housing, a push switch to control turning on-and-off operations of the switch mounted to opposite inside ends of the housing; and a pair of lens plates pivotally supported centrally at an opening in said housing to allow a swing movement, the back of said lens plates at opposite ends thereof being formed to be abutted by an actuating button to operate said push switch such that said push switch performs the turn-on/turn-off operation separately for said pair of lamps.
Further, it is preferable that said lamps are connected to door switches in a circuit design such that said pair of lamps are both lighted by said door being opened.